Sweet Poison
by So Devious
Summary: After being attacked on a routine expedition, Yuuri is fatally wounded and dies. Wolfram is now haunted by dreams of his fiance, all more real than the last. He wants to hear those three words, but why is Yuuri insisting that he wake up?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Kyou Kara Maou characters. Enough said.

Note: Yes, this is based off that episode of Futurama, just because I thought it was so darn cute and it would kinda suit Wolf and Yuuri perfectly, seeing as they tend to get into wacky shenanigans like that. It also has a little bit of Hamlet thrown in, because I've never seen anything similar to a giant bee with the exception of the Kumohachi in Kyou Kara Maou. So I used a poison-tipped sword instead! A little Wolf-centric, nut there are hot yaoi scenes, so…

Sweet Poison

Prologue

"Heika!" Yuuri wasn't sure who shouted it, only that, in a span of a few minutes, their caravan was surrounded on all sides. Conrart, Wolfram, and even Günter had their swords drawn, but the group was vastly outnumbered. "Stay back!"

Again, he was sure who said it. There were so many faces, so many voices, all shouting, and he even had trouble hearing that over the sounds of the steel swords.

"Conrart, what's going on?" For the first time, Yuuri's voice wavered as his hands reached for Morgif.

"Just common bandits, Heika. Nothing that we can't handle." Conrart flashed a smile to him, but it didn't do much to ease his worries.

"What do you plan to do with that, wimp? Get back in the carriage so you don't get hurt!" Wolfram shouted at him. It seemed like the wise thing to do, but honestly, how could he? All of his friends, his loved ones, were basically heading into battle, and as their king, he should be right there by their side, right?

"You better listen to the pretty boy before I get a hold of you, _Heika._" The gang of bandits parted as a smaller figure stepped forth. He looked no older than Yuuri and Wolf, his tawny brown hair was long and pushed to the side, spilling over one shoulder. His cold silver eyes bore holes into the Demon King as he slowly stepped closer to the group. "After what you did to me, don't think you're getting out of this so easily."

"What are you talking about? I've never met you in my life!"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear anything you have to say! After the way you tore my family apart, after the way you killed my father!" Yuuri's eyes widened in shock. He had never killed anyone in his life, at least not consciously. Maybe something he had done while his body was under the Maou's control? Yuuri dreaded the thought.

"Liar!" Wolfram's voice snapped the Demon King out of his reverie. "Yuuri would never raise a blade to anyone! What is your real purpose here?!"

"Shut up, Little Lord Brat." Wolfram visibly bristled at the nickname. "You obviously don't know anything. Thanks to that son-of-a-bitch, my father was killed. Honestly, humans and demons, living in harmony? What a farce!"

"Shut up!" Yuuri shouted, no longer able to control himself. "I'm sorry that your father was killed, but that doesn't have anything to do with me!" The young man smirked.

"Oh really? My father was killed because you _insisted_" he added a sarcastic flourish with his arm. "that the Western Human territory, my father's territory, open up to the Demon Tribe. Persuaded that he jump on your Bandwagon-O-Justice to fight Dai Shimaron. And what did he get for it? What did I get for it?" the young man's fists clenched around the hilt of his sword. "One of your Mazoku _scum_ broke into the castle. Killed three guards, and…and…" One of the bandits placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "And they killed my father, as well." Seeming to have snapped, he unsheathed his sword, and glared at Yuuri's party. "Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri, 27th King of the Demon Tribe. My name is Deon d'Arnaud, crown prince of Belle Terre, the Western Territory of the Human Lands. I am here to destroy you." Deon turned to his bands of troops and cried out, "Kill them!"

The battle began immediately. Swords clashed all around him, and the cries of those wounded grew louder and louder. It waged on for maybe minutes, maybe an hour, but it seemed like an eternity, and Yuuri just wanted it to stop.

"I won't let you hurt Yuuri." Wolfram's voice seemed to carry over the chaos, and Yuuri finished off his opponent before turning to face his fiancé.

"Ha! No matter. As long as he is six feet under, I wouldn't mind killing one of you demon trash as compensation." Deon smirked, and his sword made a dive for Wolframs skull, but the blond, being the talented soldier that he was, blocked it easily. The two grappled like that for almost a whole minute, before Wolfram got the upper hand, effectively pushing Deon back a few feet.

"You just got lucky." the tawny haired prince snarled. "Now prepare to die!" He charged forward, intending to run the blond through with his cold steel. It was then the something in Yuuri took over, and he rushed forward just as the blade came barreling at the blond.

Yuuri couldn't say what happened next, all he felt was searing pain. All he heard was Wolfram's voice calling his name. It was then that everything went black.

-

"Yuuri!" Wolfram cried out as the blade was pulled from his fiancé's torso. He ignored the pain and blood on his own and dropped to his knees, cradling the young king's head in his hands as his resolve slowly slipped away from him. "Yuuri, please!" the blond prince begged. "Please don't die!" Wolfram's vision began to swim, and he had assumed it was from the unshed tears.

"Our work here is done." Deon stated, his voice cold as he sheathed his sword. Wolfram's head snapped up and green eyes met icy grey.

"But your highness, shouldn't we finish the rest of them off? What if they try to strike back?" Deon merely held his nose up high and scoffed.

"Let them. If they're precious Maou was so easily defeated, how strong can the military be?"

"How dare you-" Conrart bit out, but was cut off as Wolfram choked out a sob.

"I'll leave you to your king. After all, I wouldn't want to intrude on any funeral planning." With an almost sickeningly sweet smile, Deon, with his band of men, retreated.

"Should we go after them?" Gunter asked, obviously torn between helping his king and tracking down the little spoiled brat and giving him what-for.

No!" Wolfram snapped, holding Yuuri close, as though he were using his body to stop the blood flow from his beloved's gut. "No. We have to save him." He looked up at his brother and former tutor with those big green eyes, and Conrart noticed then the glazed look that was held within them. He got the strange feeling that it wasn't because he was overflowing with emotions.

"Wolf, are you alright?" Honestly, he wasn't. His head was swimming, his limbs felt heavier and heavier, and all he wanted to do was sleep. But he had to make sure Yuuri was okay first.

"I'm fine! We have to hurry and get Yuuri back to Gisela, before…" Wolfram couldn't get the words out. He couldn't stand the though of Yuuri going back to Earth, let alone the thought of him dying all together. "I'll stay in the carriage with him. Just get us back to Blood Pledge as soon as possible."

Conrart and Gunter didn't need to be told twice. More quickly than he prince had ever seen them move, the two were back on their mounts and Wolfram was hauling his fiancé into the carriage. The blond put a hand over the Maou's chest, heaving a sigh of relief at the feel of a, very faint, heartbeat. There was still time, but not much. Hopefully the horses were fast enough to get them back to the castle before it was too late.

-

Prologue's done, its one am, I have school tomorrow, as well as a choir concert later in the evening. The first chapter should be done soon, so let me know what you think now, okay?

-Five minutes later-Yeah, so I'm editing this and I didn't realize how short this was. Gomen! I promise the next chapter will be longer.


	2. Chapter 1

-1Disclaimer: I own no Kyou Kara Maou characters. The all belong to…someone whose not me. Honestly, I don't know.

Note: I didn't wait too long for feedback, because I actually want to try and finish this in a timely fashion. But I do want to thank those who did review. I actually want to have it posted last night but I had a choir concert, which, of course, held precedence. Oh! Also, does anyone know why, when I'm uploading and editing this, the -1 appears next to my disclaimer? What does it mean? Just wondering.

Warning: Spoilers for season 3.

Sweet Poison

Chapter 1

It was by Shinou's will alone that Yuuri had survived on the way to Blood Pledge, but only just barely. Wolfram shuttered as he remembered having to talk to his fiancé about anything, from Greta, to Shin Makoku, to the weather, just to make sure Yuuri didn't slip from consciousness. He vowed himself that, when Yuuri got out of this, he would never go through this again.

They had called in other healers from the Shrine, one to patch up Wolfram's wound, where the blade went through Yuuri and hit him. The rest had tended to Yuuri. Needless to say, Wolfram wasn't invited to stay and watch.

"Your Highness?" Gisela stepped out from the infirmary almost hours later, a grim look on her face. Gunter immediately rose to put an arm around his daughter, who proceeded to place a hand over her mouth to bite back a sob. Wolfram could already feel his world start to chip away, he was just waiting for the last few words to completely shatter it.

"What is it, Gisela? Will he be alright?" Conrart asked, his voice shaking. Probably because he knew the answer as well as Gisela and Wolfram did. The healer sniffled, but straightened herself.

"Father. Weller-kyo. Your Highness. His Majesty, Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri, has been pronounced dead." Her resolve began to crack as her sobs started anew.

Wolfram just seemed to stare out into nothingness. He couldn't see Gunter hold Gisela close, he couldn't hear their heart-wrenching sobs. He couldn't even feel Conrart's hand on his shoulder. All he could feel was his back, sliding down the cold stone of the castle. He let out a strangled cry and buried his face in his hands. His elder brother pulled him into his arms and cradled him close, and for once, the blond didn't complain. He simply held on tightly to Conrart's uniform and continued to cry.

"Shh. Wolf, I know it hurts. But you have to be strong. For Greta." Conrart smiled down at his little brother, and he was trying so hard not to break down himself. He just stroked the blond curls and let the young prince let out his sorrow and frustration. The scary thing was, it was only down hill from here.

The funeral was held only two days later. Wolfram had it the hardest. Since he was the Yuuri's fiancé, and Greta was much to young to plan such a thing, all of the funeral preparations were left up to the young prince. He had to juggle this with taking care of Greta and making sure she was alright, not to mention his responsibilities as a soldier. It was obviously hard on the little one, losing her father, and Wolfram didn't want her to think that her other father was slipping away as well. They still slept in Yuuri's bed, kept his place at the lunch table, and just made sure nothing changed. Even now, at the Maou's funeral, the little girl, though she did let a few tears slip down her cheeks, held her head high with a determined look and a complete air of bravery in this scary situation. It was what her Papa would have wanted, after all.

"We should not mourn the loss of this great being. Not only was he a great ruler, a peacemaker, a saint in the eyes of his people, he was also a great son, a loving brother, a devoted father, and a dear friend." The prince didn't listen to the rest of the sermon. He knew all of that about Yuuri, and still the eulogy didn't begin to do him justice. Wiping away the last of his tears, the young prince rose from his seat and silently excused himself from the service, but not before placing a kiss on his former fiancé's cold lips. He just needed to rest, and the attendants completely understood.

-

"Wolfram? Wolfram, wake up." A sweet voice was calling out to him, stirring him from his slumber. Something about it sounded so painfully familiar. Almost like…

No, that was impossible. He was just being stupid.

"C'mon, Wolf, wake up. I want to see you!" The blond slowly opened his eyes.

And found himself staring back into deep black. Wolfram shot up in the bed where he had laid himself to rest after he left the service, and stared down at Yuuri in shock.

"Yuuri? What are you doing here!" The blond scooted to the opposite end of the bed, wanting to have ample room to flee if the other man turned out to be a zombie or something equally ridiculous. "You're, you're-"

"Dead? Yeah, I guess I am." Yuuri scratched his head, in normal Yuuri fashion, and he stared bashfully down at the bedspread. He picked up one of the many hand made stuffed toys that Greta had brought into the bed with her and held it close to her. Yuuri smiled as he thought of his little girl. "But, at the same time, I don't think so."

"What are you talking about? Either you are or you aren't!" Yuuri gazed up at him with sad eyes, and Wolfram immediately felt bad about yelling at him. "I'm sorry. Things have just been so crazy the past few days. First, everything is fine, and then you're gone, and the funeral and Greta and-" A warm hand found its way to the blonds cheek. It was then that Wolfram noticed that, not only was he rambling, he was crying as well.

"Wolfram, I'm so sorry." Yuuri said softly as he caressed the blonde's cheek. "I'm sorry for leaving you and Greta behind. But…" he cast his gaze downward, as though he were ashamed. "There are just things we can't take control of. I didn't want to leave you, but if it meant-"

"Meant what?"

Without giving him an answer, Yuuri lifted his eyes to Wolfram's, obsidian meeting emerald. Wolfram was about to ask him again, but before he had the chance, Yuuri's lips were suddenly over his in a chaste, tender kiss.

"If it meant keeping you safe, then I would do it all over again." He pulled the blond close to his body, just holding him close.

"Don't give me that, Yuuri." Fresh tears sprung to his eyes, but this time for a totally different reason. That kiss was all Wolfram had ever hoped for, for the long years he and Yuuri had been engaged. He was afraid that all his hopes had died along with his fiancé. "Why did you do it? Didn't you know how much it would hurt us?" his voice rose more and more as he continued. "The people needed you! And Greta, too! I need you! Why did you do it, Yuuri!" He felt the Maou's fingers run through his hair, and he had to wonder if he even wanted an answer.

"Wolf. I'm sorry, I can't say it enough. I know I've put all of you through so much. I can't change what I've done, but Wolf, I need you to do something for me…"

-

Wolfram woke with a start the next morning, if the light pouring through the window was anything to go by. He still felt a warm body by his side, but he was slightly relieved, as well as slightly disappointed, to see that it was Greta. She had more than likely snuck in after the funeral and curled herself around her papa before nodding off to sleep. Wolfram patted the girl's auburn hair as she continued to sleep. There was no point in rousing her now. He'd take a bath and wake her later.

On the way to the bath, however, was when the reality of the dream began to sink in. People said it all the time, and he never really believed them, but the blond prince could swear he could actually feel his fiancé's lips on his. The embrace was so warm, and he could still feel the firmness of Yuuri's chest against his cheek. The had to have been something that wasn't clicking right, whether it be in himself or otherwise. Either way, he had to find out once and for all. Was Yuuri dead…or not?

The Maou's parting words still rang fresh in his ears as he took a detour on his route to the baths, hopefully to find Gunter.

-

_"Wolf. I'm sorry, I can't say it enough. I know I've put all of you through so much. I can't change what I've done, but Wolf, I need you to do something for me…" Yuuri's voice was soft, and slightly pleading. Wolfram nodded. Confusion and anger and sadness aside, he would still do anything for the Maou, no, _his_ Maou._

_"Of course, Yuuri, anything!"_

_"I need you to wake up."_

-

First chapter's done. I even stayed home from school to finish it. Actually, I lied, I'm actually sick, and in a slight amount of pain. But this is better than laying around doing nothing, so here you go!


	3. Author's Note

-1Author's Note

Listen guys, I know a lot of you have been waiting for the next chapter of Sweet Poison, but the thing is, so much shit has happened in the past week that has my head in outer space. I wasn't going to use this as an excuse, but it's gotten from bad to worse in just a span of seven days.

For starters, my boyfriend broke up with me a week before my senior prom. I had to deal with shit on top of shit with that, including having to tell his aunt that we broke up. Then there was stress over this boy and his prom date. The boy and I were talking, but he had already asked this girl to prom, and I felt horrible just looking at him while she was right there. The cherry on top of this shit cake is probably the worst news I've ever heard.

On May 18th, 2008, there was a really bad car wreck. The car suddenly jerked to the left, hit the median, flipped over into on-coming traffic, and the was hit by an on-coming car. The girls in the flipped car went to my school, and one of them was my team mate from soccer. Two were thrown from the car and killed instantly, and the other died at the hospital not long after. A woman from the other car died a day or two.

On top of all of that, I came down with a serious infection, with a fever ranging in the 100s. Sweet Poison will be continued shortly. Just bear with me, please, and keep the girls' families in your thoughts.


	4. Chapter 2

-1Disclaimer: I own no Kyou Kara Maou characters. So….yeah.

Note: You guys have no idea how hard it is to not start this fic that I have working in my head. But that's neither here nor there, so.

Sorry if this story is getting a little confusing. I don't want to give it any of it away (even though if you've read the note on the prologue and seen that episode, you'd know exactly where this is going.) Just bear with me and everything will make sense. It's not a long story, maybe 6 chapters in length or so, so just be a little patient, please! And thank you for all the wonderful reviews.

Sweet Poison

Chapter 2

"Wolfram, what exactly are you talking about?" Gunter asked, a delicate eyebrow raised in confusion. The young prince had come to him in the middle of the morning, surprisingly all smiles. Then he proceeded to ask something about dreams and reality and meanings, all things that Gunter had never even thought to think about, let alone study.

"I had a dream last night, and Yuuri was there and-"

"Wolf!" Gunter interrupted. He suddenly knew where all this was going. "I can't say I have any idea what you're talking about, but I can tell you this." He place his hands on the blonde's shoulders, as those sad green eyes bore into him. "You're in shock. These past few days have been hard on everyone, but you were his betrothed. I know it hurts, and I know it's hard to deal with. Sometimes it feels like he's just gone back to Earth. But the reality is that he's gone. You were going to be with Yuuri-Heika for the rest of his life, and, sadly, you've fulfilled your purpose." Wolfram would have snapped, but honestly, there was nothing left to break. He had lost his beloved, seen him again, and then told he would _never_ see him again, all in the span of a week, and it just didn't hurt anymore.

"Wolfram, I would like you to see Gisela. Perhaps there is something she can give you to help you calm down when you get like this." The lavender haired man said, seeming almost detached from the conversation. Wolfram wanted to tell him no, scream to him that he didn't need medicine; he needed help figuring out what was going on! 'But that would probably just make me seem even more crazy.' the blond thought remorsefully. "Wolfram, I want you to see Gisela immediately, okay? Ask her for a sedative to help you, until you've gotten over all of this."

"Get over it? What do you mean get over it?" The young prince felt his rage flare up. How did one just 'get over' the death of their fiancé in just a few days?

"Your Highness, I didn't mean it in a malicious way; I just meant that you can't be hung up on it for the rest of your life. You have to move on and live your life, for Greta, for your family, and if the Nobles' decide to keep their previous decision, your kingdom. How can you plan to do all that, _and_ mourn the previous Maou?" Sighing, Wolfram didn't reply. Gunter had him dead to rights. He couldn't possibly raise a daughter, run a nation, and not completely lose his mind if he couldn't even accept Yuuri's death?

"I understand." He replied, his voice low and mellow. Not like Wolf at all. "I'm sorry. I'll go see Gisela right away." In fact, it was so unlike the blond, it almost scared Gunter. The elder man wanted to believe him, honestly he did, but with everything going on, how could he not equate it to stress or shock, or, even worse, hysteria. Perhaps someone should warn Gwendel that his little brother may be slipping off the edge. Gunter didn't notice Wolfram slink out of his office, silently closing the door behind him.

-

For once, Wolfram did the responsible thing. I.e., what he was told to do.

"I need something to calm me down!" Wolfram demanded as he stormed into the infirmary. At some point between Gunter's office and the infirmary, his feelings had shifted like mad. At first, he had felt defeated and slightly ignorant at even thinking telling Gunter was a good idea. But then, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He knew what he felt in that dream, and he'd be damned if Gunter, of all people, were going to tell him otherwise!

Gisela physically jumped, and nearly dropping the vial she was holding in her hand. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

"Gunter sent me here to retrieve a sedative to help me relax. Do you have one?"

"I do, but, may I ask why you need it?" She handed him a vial of pearly white liquid. The prince quickly snatched it, and tucked it away before turning to the door.

"I could tell you, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me." Wolfram's head spun around and their eyes met. He wanted to tell her. Maybe she would have something other than a sedative to help him figure all this out. 'But remember who her father is…' his inner voice warned. He didn't want it to turn out like Gunter all over again. That little episode proved that he was better off not telling anyone, not even Greta, who would probably be upset beyond all reason if she knew.

"Maybe some other time." He replied smoothly, They stared each other down for a whole minute, before Gisela finally smirked. She knew, with the prince's stubbornness, he wouldn't relent in telling her exactly what the potion was for. She didn't know much, but she was almost certain it had a little, if not everything, to do with the Maou's death.

"Take once dose to calm you down. When you're preparing for bed, take two doses."

"Right." Without waiting for any other instructions, Wolfram turned to leave. However, before he took even one step, the healer called out to him.

"Your highness, listen to me. Do not take more than three doses in twenty-four hours. If you do, you may not wake up." Her green eyes flashed with a severity Wolfram had only seen on the battlefield, and he instantly knew that he shouldn't take her words lightly.

-

This chapter has no meaning what-so-ever, and you probably could have skipped over it. I just had to introduce that potion somehow. From now on, I'm going to try and have a scene with Yuuri every chapter, and the next chapter is when things start to go down hill for Wolfie, so watch out for that.


	5. Chapter 3

-1Disclaimer: I don't own any Kyou Kara Maou characters.

Note: I'm sorry I took a lot longer than I planned to with my hiatus. The girls' service was beautiful, and everyone pitched in to help the families. I managed to graduate from high school, and now I'm in the process of switching colleges (don't ask.) But, enough about me. You came here to read a fic! And for the last time, **this is based on that Futurama episode.** I put it in the first authors note, but I don't think anyone even read it.

Sweet Poison

Chapter Three

"So, they're drugging you now? My poor baby." Yuuri laughed as he ran his fingers through those blond curls. Wolfram just huffed from his place in Yuuri's chair, which still held refuge in the former Maou's office.

"They apparently think I'm some invalid who needs constant medication to remain sane." The blond still had mixed emotions about having to take the Poison, as he now called it. With good reason too; after taking two doses, like Gisela said, he was dead to the world, free to spend as much time with his beloved as he pleased. Yuuri smiled and leaned over the prince and gently pushed their lips together. Wolfram sighed. This was how it was always supposed to be. Yuuri, here, with him and without a care in the world.

Wolfram couldn't help but smile at the thought, and Yuuri pulled away to gaze down at him, curious as to what was so funny.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how we should have done this a long time ago." He flashed his former fiancé a genuine smile, and Yuuri had lost his control. He grabbed the blonde's wrist and hoisted him up, out of the chair and into the Maou's arms.

"I agree." He swooped down for another kiss from the blond, who, at that moment decided to play coy. If he couldn't dream like this every second of the day, then he was going to have fun with the time he did have.

Smirking, Wolfram turned his face at the last moment and Yuuri's lips met with his soft cheek. Chuckling, the prince wiggled out of his fiancé's grip before moving behind him.

Yuuri smiled as he took in the demon's appearance. Wolfram's hair was disheveled, his green eyes sparkling merrily. Everything about him was young again, and more joyful than Yuuri had ever seen him. His smile falling way to a devilish smirk, Yuuri quickly reached out for him again, taking Wolfram by surprise. Yuuri then pushed the blond against the nearest wall, bringing his own body flush against his fiancé.

Wolfram immediately took advantage of their new position and leaned up to ravage Yuuri's lips in a breathtaking kiss, their hands roaming and tongues battling for dominance.

"Yuuri, it's not true." Wolfram panted out as he broke the kiss. "It just can't be."

"What can't be true, love?" the Maou asked before leaning in to kiss his prince again. Wolfram, once again, moved his head to the side, Yuuri's lips crashing into his cheek instead.

"This can't be just a dream." Yuuri froze. "This feels just too real. _You _feel too real, Yuuri. You just can't be dead!" the blond was getting more and more excited at the concept of his beloved being alive. Yuuri, however, couldn't let that happen. "If I can just convince everyone else-"

"Wolf." The prince froze, and the Maou rested his forehead against his beloved's. "You can't do that. No matter how real this seems, no matter how much we love being together. This isn't real, it's just a dream."

Wolfram didn't know what exactly made him cry. Maybe it was the words themselves, or maybe the lack of remorse Yuuri held while he spoke, but something about hearing it from him, of all people, made something in the blond snap.

"Don't say that! You wimp! Don't say things like that!" Wolfram pounded his fists against Yuuri's chest. "How can you say that? Don't you want to live again? With Greta and I, and with everyone else?"

"Why? You aren't." A sob broke free from Wolfram's throat as the words cut through him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Just stop!" Yuuri held the young man close as he cried. He couldn't bear to put his fiancé through this, but what could he do?

"Wolfram, please. For me and for our daughter." Wolfram released another sob as his head rose to meet those deep black orbs. "Please, just wake up."

Wolfram shot up in bed, nearly knocking Greta onto the cold floor.

"Wolfram?" Her little voice questioned as she rubbed her hazel eyes. It was already morning, sun spilling into the King's bed chambers and lighting the darker corners. The blond looked down at his daughter and smiled reassuringly.

"It's nothing, Greta. Just a bad dream is all." When the girl smiled and nodded before cuddling up to him. "Are you ready to get up? Or did you still want to rest?"

"Hmm, I'm ready to get up." Wolfram laughed at her again as her hoisted her up and carried her out of their room.

"Come on, little one, it's bath time."

"Oh, Wolfram!" A voice called from behind him. The prince turned to see Conrart walking toward him, a concerned look marring his features. "You're needed in the conference room. It's urgent."

"Can't it wait? I was just about to give Greta her bath." The little girl nodded in agreement, but Conrart wouldn't relent.

"I'm sorry, but you're needed. I'll make sure Greta takes her bath, but they must see you, right now." Wolfram sighed, but handed Greta over to his elder brother.

"Be good for him, okay?" he replied, patting her head before he turned to leave. He had a feeling as to what this was about, but he didn't want to admit it to himself. After all, it was still too soon.

-

"Wolfram von Bielefelt, it's nice to see you again." Wolfram couldn't put a name to some of the faces at the table, with the exception of Gwendel, Gunter, and his own uncle, Wolrana von Bielefelt, but it seemed only natural to assume that they were the rest of the Ten Nobles of the Demon Land. In a far corner, Cecilie stood with an ever-rare expression of worry. Something was up, and Wolfram could just tell that he wouldn't like it.

"Sir Wolfram, as much as it pains me to say, we feel that the Kingdom has mourned long enough." Gwendel didn't waste any time in getting down to business, not that the younger prince minded. He wasn't really in the mood to have his time wasted with a reunion.

"I'm sure you remember when Yuuri went returned to his world for the long period of time. We had reached the decision that you should take his place as the Maou of Shin Makoku. In these dark times, we have come to the conclusion that the same decision should be re-instated. We would like you to rule Shin Makoku as the new Maou."

Wolfram's head began swimming. Wasn't it still too soon to choose a new king? How could they even find the nerve to mock him so, forcing him to take the place of, not only his late fiancé, but by far the greatest ruler since The Original King?

"Brother, I don't think I can." His voice sounded so small, he would be surprised if they had even heard him. "I could never live up to Yuuri. I could never be the ruler he was." Wolfram felt like he was trying to convince himself rather than the Ten Nobles.

"Enough, Wolfram. Such talk isn't befitting the soon-to-be King of Shin Makoku." Wolrana sat there, smirking as though he himself were crowned.

'He thinks he's so slick. He finally got his damn way.' Wolfram glared down at the carpeted floor of the grand meeting room, afraid that if he even looked at his uncle, he was snap. Wasn't it bad enough that he lost the man he loved most? Wasn't it awful enough that he was still haunted with these painfully real dreams? Why make it so obvious that the situation was clearly being taken advantage of?

"It's your responsibility, not only as a prince and Royal Consort, but as a citizen of Shin Makoku, Wolfram. Think of how proud you're father would be!"

"Enough, Wolrana!" Cecilie snapped from her place in the corner. Her green eyes shone with unshed tears, and for once, the young prince felt like someone was on his side. "You don't understand what he's going through right now! He lost his first and only love, not but weeks ago." The former queen moved to wrap her arms around her youngest son. "Such a sight can destroy a person, and to have to watch such brutality take place, before one's very eyes-"

"He wouldn't be like this if you didn't baby him so much, Cheri-"

"Be that as it may, Her Highness is right. He is of no use to the nation in his current state." Lord von Spitzweg, Cheri-sama's brother, chimed in. He couldn't understand how the boy's paternal uncle could act so coldly, but he wouldn't have any of it. Wolfram was his nephew, too, after all.

"Lord von Spitzweg is right. Wolfram, the decision still stands, and you shall be the new Maou." Gwendel stated, cool and collected as ever. "However, you shall only act as figurehead until you're condition has improved. Gunter and I shall take care of the happenings in the city, as well as Conrart."

"I'll help, too." Cheri smiled at her youngest son. Wolfram was so overwhelmed, between the argument, the decision, his mother and brother, he almost didn't realize that he was crying, simply from the emotion of it all. A part of him felt ashamed, naturally, for losing his macho cool, in front of the Ten Nobles of all people, but mostly he felt loved.

"Thank you." He managed to choke out between the subsiding sobs that wracked his chest, and he buried his face in the crook of his mother's neck.

The Ten Nobles, all except Wolrana, smiled lovingly at the former queen and her prince. Wolfram would get through this, even if they had to come together every night to help him do so.

--

Again, sorry for the super long wait! In case anyone's wondering, there was a long pause between the beginning of the chapter in the end. During that pause, I got accepted to Columbus State, so I've been getting ready for that. I'm leaving for Cleveland today, and I'll be gone until Sunday, so if I don't get the next chapter posted soon, it will be up not too long after I get back.

Read and review, please!


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